SPOILERS SPOILERS! OH MY GOD SPOILERS!
NOTE! IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED ALL PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA EPISODES, TURN BACK NOW! GODDAMMIT I WILL NOT REPEAT MYSELF – THIS IS SERIOUS SPOILERS FOR THE BEST ENDING OUT THERE! GO AND WATCH THEM NOW!
There are also spoilers if you haven't been keeping up with the Naruto manga and the Bleach anime/manga. BUT IT IS MOSTLY MADOKA SPOILERS!
...I'm done. If you don't listen to this, it's not my problem. I just thought I should warn you first. Sorry you guys, but this is how the Muse works.
Disclaimer: I don't own PMMM, Bleach or Naruto. They belong to their respective creators.
A/N: Thanks to metsfan101 for reviewing Eros. Thanks to the 28 readers of Eros. And thanks for the (currently) 149 readers of the Four Loves Quartet in total. This is the end, thank you all for reading this.
Fucking hell. This one came out in like twenty minutes, with me running around and getting picky for a bit afterwards. It just flowed man. When I should have been sleeping...my sleep patterns are totally screwed up...it's after midnight here! Fucking 1 o'clock!
If you are reading this, you probably passed the warning on top. It's not really a crossover, but Madoka does have a strong presence within. It more like a real PMMM fic, that happens to dip into Naruto and Bleach along the way. The real crossovers are somewhere else – aka still being worked on or currently resting on the shelf gathering dust. -achoo! goes Muse, covered in dust and glaring at LP-
Anyways, this is Agape – Unconditional Love. And what better day to post this than on Christmas? I struggled with the quote to start off the chapter and settled for that rather famous one from the epilogue of PMMM. It works so damn well.
-start-
Agape
Don't forget.
Always, somewhere,
someone is fighting for you.
As long as you remember her,
you are not alone.
It's funny, but looking back, she doesn't find it in her to regret it.
She suppose she maybe should – she left everything behind. She never existed – Kaname Madoka never existed, except in Akemi Homura's head and to the poor Mahō Shojō that she saved before they gave into their despair or their Soul Gems darkened beyond normal saving.
But Madoka, a being of hope, an infinite being woven into the fabric of reality, did exist, in a strange way.
She danced in light and shadow – or at least that was the best comparison. And she watched.
In every reality, in every timeline where the Incubators existed, Homura-chan's wish was always the same.
"I want to know who this 'Madoka' is and I want to help her."
The pink haired girl beamed every time it happened. Things were complex in this realm – with so many timelines, it would have been awkward with more than one Sayaka-chan, Anko-chan* or others. But since they were all, in the end, the same person, she merged them together, forming a greater whole.
They never complained and managed the strange overlap of experiences well. In fact, Sayaka-chan always said that having more than one of her running around might be a bad thing, which never failed to make Madoka laugh – she could never see it as so. Sayaka-chan was Sayaka-chan and thus perfect in her own way.
But is it noted by her now that there are universes where the Incubators didn't show up and humans grew nonetheless. If she had known it, would she have made a different wish?
The idea is scrapped before it truly forms. She likes the world they have – it is far from perfect, but perfection isn't needed.
Whenever she really starts to doubt, she finds, due to her nature, that helping others work through the same problems helped.
Like now.
In another world, a large giant fox, with many tails screamed its fury, as it was held down by blue energy chains.
A woman with red hair, the one in charge of the chains, cried to her husband, begging him to try a different way. The blond man shakes his head, sadness in his face as he looks to the baby, their son, by them.
He can't think of another way in which he can be certain it will work – he has no more time.
Madoka looks at his hesitance, and his sorrow, and feels for him. The very day he gains a real family, he has it torn from him.
But before that, his village, his home, meant so much to him.
He can do nothing but save them.
Madoka scans things, looking through other universes like this one and down the road of this one. She smiles, because his son, this Naruto, is all he hopes for and more.
And so she sends a soothing wave towards him, allowing him to calm down, wrapping around him like a warm blanket.
"It's okay, Minato-kun." She "says". "Your son will do this and more."
He relaxes, if only a bit and, with a last kiss to his wife, made of fire and tears, he turns and faces the fate he chose for himself.
But Madoka cannot allow that.
As the Shinigami entity takes him, Madoka appears, if only partially, and stares him down. It shivers under her gaze and releases his soul, allowing her to bless and send him on to his beautiful wife.
She also sends a piece of herself ahead, to intervene with his predecessor/successor's own fate, along with the other predecessors. It is the least she can do.
And then she turns away and finds another world.
This one has its own Shinigami, but much different. More human.
And one has gone mad, trying to destroy everything looking for perfection. Madoka can only shake her head – he might have done good if it wasn't for that. Illusions...how much does he delude himself? Did he truly believe those were his wishes?
Another one stares him down, clutching his sword in his fist, shaking with a mixture of fear and rage.
Rage, for this man wants to destroy his home, and all that his precious to him, and he will not allow this.
Fear, because he only sees one way where he has a chance for success, but can't believe he has it in him to do it.
'This will not work, Ichigo.' Is the dark whisper in his mind.
Madoka gives an understanding smile. She knows what it feels, to stand on that edge and prepare yourself for the plunge. How much doubt and fear can hold you back.
And she also knows what to say, as she whispers in his ear just five more words, five more words to set things right.
He relaxes and stares down his enemy. And Madoka backs off, because she knows that, down the road, things will work out.
She scans the other universes like this and frowns at some. A burst of knowledge causes her to summon some of her "Valkyries" as they jokingly call themselves, sending five of them to tip the scales in one world where things were balanced for the bad.
She also sends a part of herself to save another version of Kyoko-chan and Sayaka-chan, ones who can, for once, stay there in that world and be happy. She will collect their souls for real later. She then gives a secret happy smile, wondering how her Sayaka-chan will take it when she merges with that one.
Another, final burst of knowledge has her "experimenting" with her powers, for it had to happen for it had already happened.
She then smiles and spreads herself out once more, looking for other places where she could be of aid.
She didn't just have to help the Mahō Shojō. All of humanity was her concern, no matter the universe and world.
She was suppose to be hope after all, and the best thing you could do with hope is spread it around.
And it's not like she's doing it alone...
-line break-
Ichigo feels hot. He feels cold.
He doesn't know what he feels – the heat of rage or the chill of fear. Maybe both.
But there is Aizen and though he has beaten him back, he can tell that he will still get up – always get back up.
Unless he uses that.
Ever since he found out what the Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō really is, he's been terrified. Because, as much as he cares for and loves the people that surround him, he doesn't know if he can give up all the power he worked for to protect them so he can protect them one final time.
Doubt clouds him – normally, he would do anything to protect others, even become a monster. But right now...would it even work?
And then a soft warmth, a gentle smile and something like a hug. And a girlish voice, saying:
"It will be alright, Ichigo-kun."
He closes his eyes and opens them.
'I will protect them.' There is no other reason needed.
"Saigo no Getsuga Tenshō!"
The black energy/aura wraps around him and he glares at Aizen.
And he vows to not let his pain show – he hurts them enough.
He has done enough.
He – originally – never wanted to be different from others.
He will be normal. He will be strong, though differently this time.
And he will survive.
"Mugetsu."
-end-
A/N: The five words Madoka gave was inspired by The Dresden Files' new book Ghost Story. At the end, seven(?) words are given by Uriel to fix the seven(?) words that set things off things for the book in the first place. I thought it would work here too. Homura's wish seemed to fit for me in my mind – Homura already had the feeling and the name of Madoka in the back of her mind, so there was a pathway already set up for her to gain the information. Also, I don't think "protect" works anymore – protect explains the shield she had, because what are shields used for again?
A lot of people hate the "lose all your powers for one final shot", but it did do its job. And frankly, Ichigo didn't – apparently – think twice about it. That, is Agape Love. Thus, it works for my purposes.
Thank you for the reviews and hits. Renewal has been updated as well, and I'm sure those who read it will be happy too.
There are hints to my future Bleach/PMMM crossover ideas within this fic. I have a poll up to ask you guys about what next story you want me to work on after Renewal – most of them ended up being crossovers... -sweats- Anyways, I would like you to go and vote, I would like your input.
Merry Christmas everyone! This is my gift to you all. I hope you enjoyed it!
Everyone gets this special magic holiday sweet as they leave.
"*" Note:
Anko – not the Naruto character. I went for that as the "name" of Charlotte before she became a Majō. It means red bean paste, which is sweet and I thought it (sorta) fit.
~Love Psycho